Training

Spread the Word on Employee Wellness

The National Safety Council (NSC) celebrates National Safety Month every June with a specific theme emphasized every week. For Week 1 this year, NSC is spreading the word on Employee Wellness.

You can use this observance as an opportunity to talk with your workers about the critical wellness topic of high blood pressure.

Inform them that high blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), about one in three Americans has high blood pressure—and many don’t know it.

So encourage your workers to check their blood pressure (BP) regularly. Many local pharmacies have free BP machines, or your workers can buy a relatively inexpensive home BP device.


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Teach them how to read their BP numbers:

Category Systolic Diastolic
(top number)  (bottom number)
Normal Less than 120 
and 
Less than 80
Prehypertension 120–139  
or 
80–89
High blood pressure
—Stage 1  140–159 
or 
90–99
—Stage 2  160 or higher 
or 
100 or higher

Tell your employees that the NHLBI provides a helpful site called "Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure" here: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp. According to the guide, the keys to preventing high blood pressure are to:

  • Follow a healthy eating pattern.
  • Reduce salt and sodium in your diet.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Be physically active.
  • Limit alcohol intake.
  • Quit smoking.

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Encourage your workers to check out the guide for more tips in each key area. The site also provides helpful information about blood pressure medications if your employees need to go that route.

Why It Matters

  • About 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure.
  • Many of them don’t know it.
  • Untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems.
  • Educate your workers on the dangers of high blood pressure—and urge them to get theirs checked so they can take care of this health issue before it leads to something worse.
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